Patch: Revised documentation on base backups

On 09/28/2015 06:33 AM, Michael Paquier wrote:
> On Sun, Sep 27, 2015 at 11:27 AM, Amir Rohan wrote:
>> Further editing. See attached V3.
>
> I think that you should consider adding this patch to the next commit
> fest so as we do not lose track of it:
> https://commitfest.postgresql.org/7/
>


I've recently picked up the base backup section of the documentation:
http://www.postgresql.org/docs/9.4/static/continuous-archiving.html
(Section 24.3.2) and went through like a tutorial. I'm a relative
newcomer to postgres, so this was the real deal.

The docs seem to be in need of some improvement, primarily because
it has the feel of having been monkey-patched repeatedly it in the
past. It needs to have someone with more experience read through it
and comment on technical accuracy and any knee-slapper error I
might have introduced.


One pain point in rewriting is the definition of terms, or lack
there of in the manual. I didn't find a section defining terms
conclusively for consistent referencing throughout the documentation.
For example, how should one refer to the directory housing
"postgresql.conf"?, is it:

1. The data directory
2. The storage directory
3. The PGDATA directory
4. The cluster directory
5. The server root directory
6. The config file directory
7. etc'

This lack of clear guidelines and uniformly applied terms
makes for some awkward verbal manoeuvring and compromises the
quality of the documentation (but admittedly, not its copiousness).

Amir